Gettin to know

Vila do Bispo

No. of inhabitants in 2001 = 17 956 Area 61,9 (Km2)

The mythical atmosphere surrounding Sagres and Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent), places dedicated to the gods for thousands of years.
The unspoilt coastline, with its dramatic horizons of cliffs and sea. The many menhirs that bear witness to prehistoric rites. Memories of the epic of the Discoveries and the enigmatic figure of Prince Henry the Navigator. Such are the attractions of Vila do Bispo and its municipality, a vast triangle in which the sea is a constant presence. And where nature combines with history to create a unique region that is worth taking the time to get to know.

History of the Municipality It is agreed that the human presence in the south-western Algarve goes back at least as far as the Neolithic period and, if some shallow graves are to be trusted, may date to the Palaeolithic period, when Europe was joined to Africa by an isthmus.
The large number of menhirs - standing alone, in groups or in cromlechs - is one of the most important vestiges of the past to be found in the Vila do Bispo area.
Also of interest is the fact that their use in religious rites continued, in the Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent) area, until the period of the Roman occupation.
The religious importance of the Cape persisted in the Middle Ages with the pilgrimages that were made, even during the centuries of Arab rule, to the burial place of São Vicente (St. Vincent). In the 15th century, the presence of Prince Henry the Navigator at Sagres and the undertaking known as the Discoveries ensured Vila do Bispo a prominent place in history. Identified by some authors as the site of the then famous Igreja dos Corvos (Church of Crows) mentioned by Arabic chroniclers, Vila do Bispo has its origins in a village which was bequeathed to the Algarve Diocese at the beginning of the 16th century, and was elevated to the status of a town in 1633.
It suffered serious damage in the earthquake of 1755. Proud of its past and of its participation in the Discoveries, Vila do Bispo and its municipality are an integral part of the Algarve of the present and the future

Getting to Know the Vila do Bispo Area

Raposeira
One of the places in the southwestern Algarve where Prince Henry the navigator lived. Tradition says he stayed in a house which has now lost its original character and of which all that has been identified is the lintel of a 16th century door.
There are several houses with 15th and 16th century doors.

Main Church
Of the original church, founded in the 16th century, all that remains are the Manueline doorways at the front and side, the bell-tower which culminates in an octagonal pyramid, the arch of the main altar and, at the back, a curious corbel with a human face. The lateral retables are carved and gilded, with holy images.
There is a retable depicting São Miguel (St. Michael) crushing the demon and religious artefacts (16th/ 18th centuries). Hermitage of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) According to local tradition this was a place of prayer for Prince the Navigator. Romano-gothic (possibly from the 13th century), it has a plain façade with an ogived portal and rosette.
The main chapel has lateral columns with sculpted capitals and a decorated vault. Also visible are lateral buttresses with gargoyles. Surrounded by countryside, it was part of the Quinta da Raposeira, where there are ruins of a 15th century manor house.

Budens
A village with picturesque streets, an antique fountain and tank for washing clothes. Nearby stand abandoned windmills and a typical limekiln.

Main Church
A country church (18th century). Carved and gilded altars. Interesting effigy of Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Our Lady of the Rosary) (17th century). Religious artefacts (16th/18th centuries). Hermitage of São António (St. Anthony) l8th century edifice.
Panoramic views from the churchyard. Hermitage of São Lourenço (St. Lawrence) Built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The front of the altar is decorated with tiles front the 18th century.

Barão de São Miguel
A typical village surrounded by rolling hills covered with cistus. Main Church 16th century in origin. Baroque retable with effigy of the Arcanjo São Miguel (Archangel Michael) (18th century).

Sagres
Dates back to before the Roman conquest. The frequent presence of Prince Henry the Navigator during the first days of Atlantic navigation and the discovery of the African coast as far as the Gulf of Guinea has forever linked this picturesque fishing port with the discoveries.

Vila do Infante and its fortress were founded by Prince Henry and sacked and destroyed by Sir Francis Drake in 1587, after his attack on Cadiz, as part of a harrying coastal campaign that also wreaked havoc on Faro.

On Ponta de Sagres, a giant finger of rock pointing to the ocean, stand buildings that evoke the past of a place that is part of the history of the world.

Fortress
Dating back to the 15th century, and successively rebuilt and repaired in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Adjoined by former batteries that defended the beaches of Tonel and Mareta. Church of Nossa Senhora da Graça (Our Lady of Grace)
Tradition has it that this church was founded by Prince Henry the Navigator. Built in the 16th century, with a renaissance doorway.
On the altar there is an interesting depiction of São Vicente (St. Vincent) holding a ship (17th century). Headstones from the 16th and 17th centuries. Liturgical artefacts (17th century).

Wind Rose
A vast circle with radiating points, 143 feet in diameter, marked out in stone on the ground. Possibly dating back to the 15th century. Cistern-tower An interesting vestige of a group of old buildings. Now incorporated in a modern complex.

Panoramic circuit
One of the charms of Ponta de Sagres are the broad horizons and varied views of the coast provided by the paths cut along the cliffs, from which the sea has gouged huge caverns and hollows.

Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent)
Its status as a sacred spot since Neolithic times is confirmed by the presence of important groups of menhirs and by an account written by Greek authors in the 4th century B.C describing religious ceremonies involving libations and stating that it was forbidden for humans to go there after dark, because at night it was inhabited by gods.
In the period when the Phoenicians had factories in the Algarve, it is thought certain that there was a sanctuary dedicated to the solar divinities Hercules-Melcart, while in Sagres there was another under the invocation of Cronos-Saturn-Baal. For the Romans the whole area was part of the Promontorium Sacrum (from which the name Sagres is derived), the most westerly point of the world, where the setting sun made the waters of the ocean boil.

The transportation, after the Arab invasion, of São Vicente's (St. Vincent) body to the cape that was name after him turned it into a place of pilgrimage for centuries.
In 1173 the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, gave orders for the holy remains to be brought to Lisbon. An obligatory landmark for any ship travelling to the Mediterranean, Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent) has been the scene of many major sea battles.
In 1693 the French admiral Tourville defeated an Anglo-Dutch squadron. A Spanish fleet suffered a similar fate in 1780 at the hands of the English admiral Rodney. Nelson and Jarvis defeated another Spanish fleet in 1797. The squadron in the service of the absolutist King Miguel was captured here in 1833 by the liberal squadron flying the flag of his niece, Queen Maria II.

Fortress
The fortress was built in the 16th century and rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries. The arms of king Joao III are visible on the main gate.
Inside is to be found the former monastery of Hieronymite friars, founded in the 16th century, and a chapel, dating back to the 14th century, built on what is traditionally said to be the site of São Vicente's (St. Vincent) grave.
The curious lighthouse at the extremity of the Cape is an updated version of the beacon that the Bishop of the Algarve Fernando Coutinho had built for the safety of shipping in 1515.

The Music of the Waves
There are deep fissures in the Cape, and when the sea is rough the pounding waves transform these into vast natural organ-pipes.

Coastal Defence Fortress
The strategic importance of Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent) and the need to protect the local population from marauding pirates led to the construction of powerful fortifications all along the coast.
In addition for the forts at Sagres and Cabo de Sao Vicente (Cape St. Vincent), which were key to the defence of the area, many others were built, all offering magnificent views to anyone who travels along the coastline.
Torre de Aspa Ruins of a watchtower on a hill overlooking the sea (elevation 486 feet), and affording a panoramic vista of the coast as far as Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent) and Sagres. Burgau Fortification built in the reign of King Joao IV (17th century). 'Ihe remains of a 16th century tower are visible nearby. Ponta da Almádena Ruins of a fort built at the command of King Joao III (16th century).
Some way away are the remains of a medieval hermitage and a watchtower.

Figueira
Remains of a 16th century fortification. Access difficult. Zavial Ruins of a 17th century fortification. The ruins of a large masonry tower, formerly part of a watchtower, are visible at Ponte da Torre.

Barranco
Ruins of a 17th century fortress.

Baleeira
Remains of a fortification and a lookout tower.
A short distance away, at Ponta da Atalaia, stands a 17th century fort.

Belixe
Fortress dating from the 16th/17th centuries. Shield of arms of King Sebastião (16th century) on the entrance gate. Chapel of Santa Catarina (St. Catherine), cubic in shape, recalling the cells of Moslem ascetics.
Retable with an image of Santo António (St. Anthony) (17th/18th centuries). An Archaeological Treasure
The existence of veins of flint in the Vila do Bispo area, along with the opportunities for finding food among the rich marine fauna, as attested by the presence of shell mounds, must have been one of the reasons for the first human settlements. The most interesting testimony to the past are, however, the numerous menhirs (4,000 to 3,000 B.C.). Hewn out of white limestone, usually conical in shape, and sometimes bearing decoration carved in relief, they are reminders of ancient cults linked to fertility and the dead.

The Romans too left important remains that bear witness to the fish-salting industry and to the manufacture of amphorae for transporting the finished product. Vila do Bispo Marmeleiro 3 menhirs in a row. Vale de Gato de Cima 3 scattered menhirs. Pedra Escorregadia 3 decorated menhirs and a collective grave with corridor and chamber. Casa do Francês 6 small menhirs and a slab decorated with dimples and furrows.

Amantes
Many menhirs, which were part of two cromlechs. Cerro do Camacho 5 scattered menhirs. Budens Adreneira 3 menhirs which are thought to have been part of a cromlech. Vale do Oiro 2 menhirs.

Almedeninha e Figueira
Burial sites consisting of chambers made of sandstone slabs (Bronze Age). Caniços Group of 3 menhirs.

Figueira
Group of 6 menhirs. Praia da Salema Remains of a Roman villa and a fish preserves factory.

Boca do Rio
An important Roman villa with frescoes and mosaics, bathhouse, warehouses and a fish salting and conserving factory. It was possibly part of a port. Nearby are two burial sites.

Raposeira Barreiros
Two groups of menhirs, one aligned North/South. Gasga Group of 6 menhirs. Milrei Group of 21 menhirs, some decorated.
Nearby, two slabs decorated with furrows.

Padrão
Group of 15 menhirs, some with decoration. Ingrina Burial site consisting of chambers made of limestone slabs.
Nearby, 3 menhirs.

Ladeiras
Group of 2 menhirs, one of them 2.5m (8 feet) high.

Sagres Santo António
Remains of menhirs. Praia do Martinhal A major Roman pottery centre, with three kilns for the production of amphorae.
On the islets opposite the beach are remains of tanks used for salting fish.

Praia da Mareta
Ruins of silos and medieval tile and brick kilns, in use until the 16th century.

The Pleasures of Sun and Sea
The coast, which extends to the north and east of Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent), is dotted with more than 20 beaches. Some are sandy coves hidden at the foot of cliffs, others broad expanses of sand that stretch away to the horizon. Each has its own particular charm. All invite you to discover them and to rediscover peace and solitude.

Murração
A small beach with a broad stretch of sand.

Mirouço
An isolated beach. Access difficult.

Mouranitos, Barriga and Cordama
A series of broad beaches separated by cliffs but with access between them. Very quiet.

Castelejo
A beach surrounded by rock formations. Tourist facilities.

Águia and Ponta Ruiva
Stretches of sand at the foot of steep escarpments. Little visited.

Telheiro
Pleasant, sheltered beach.

Belixe
Sandy beach at the foot of a small bay scooped out of the cliff. Calm.

Tonel
A sheltered beach with good views of the Ponta de Sagres and Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent). Support facilities.

Mareta and Baleeira
Long beaches. Tourist facilities. Starting point for discovering the underwater delights of a coast dotted with caves and hollows.

Martinhal and Rebolinhos
Long beaches surrounded by a broad bay. Scenic islets opposite the beach. Tourist facilities.

Barranco, José Vaz, Ingrina and Zavial
Sandy coves on the edge of little bays. Calm. Tourist facilities.

Salema
Located in a picturesque fishing village. Pleasant beach. Tourist facilities.

Boca do Rio
Stretch of sand along the bottom of a valley crossed by two gentle streams. Peaceful.

Cabanas Velhas e Almádena
Small and seldom-visited beaches.

Burgau
A typical fishing port looking out on the sea. Calm and family-oriented. Tourist facilities. A paradise for fishermen, surfers and divers
The whole of the north coast of São Vicente (St. Vincent) is a huge fishing ground, teeming with the fish that legends are made of, from fighting sea bass to tasty stone bass.
Every rock, every cove has its own particular fans, fishermen who return to the same spot time and again. After that it's skill and good luck that determine the size of the catch…
Surfers too, appreciate the regular waves of die north coast, the safety of its broad beaches and the total freedom of the ocean.
The broad inlet defined by Ponta de Sagres and Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent) and beyond is an excellent place for scuba divers to appreciate the colourful diversity of schools of fish and the dream-like landscapes of caves and hollows carved from beneath the cliffs.

Near Budens, a golf course set among rolling hills with views to the sea is an invitation to spend a few pleasant hours chasing a small, white ball from green to green.

Costa Vicentina
Protected Landscape Area To protect the beauty of the landscape and the wealth of flora and fauna to be found there, a Protected Landscape Area has been created along a broad sweep of coastline stretching from Belixe to Odeceixe.
Here it is possible to admire dozens of species of wild flower, and to watch animals like the wild boar and the eagle in their natural habitat An opportunity for an endless variety of enjoyable walks, along cliffs and beaches, across hills and valleys.

The Taste of Good Cooking
Sea on two sides, land on one. The cooking typical of Vila do Bispo reflects this dual influence in dinners of chickpeas and boiled cabbage flavoured with cured meats, in the presence of corn flour in maize-meal with sardines, in delicious fish dishes: conger risotto, baked dory or sea bream, fish stew, fried morey sandwiches.
Shellfish in Vila do Bispo is always tempting, as anyone will vouch who has eaten the barnacles and whelks harvested from the rocks or the succulent lobsters that the boats bring in at dawn.

Sagres honey cake is what the Vila do Bispo area has to offer those who appreciate something sweet at the end of a meal… or with a nice cup of tea.

Popular crafts
Delicate female hands make bobbin lace in Vila do Bispo and Sagres, keeping up a centuries-old tradition that has always been associated with towns near the sea.
In the country villages, the locals still weave attractive products from rushes and palm-leaves: baskets, bags. mats, etc.